''Shooting High'' is a 1940 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring

Jane Withers Jane Withers (April 12, 1926 – August 7, 2021) was an American actress and children's radio show host. She became one of the most popular child stars in Hollywood in the 1930s and early 1940s, with her films ranking in the top ten list for ...

, Gene Autry, and Marjorie Weaver. Written by

Lou Breslow Lou Breslow (born Lewis Breslow; July 18, 1900 – November 10, 1987) was an American screenwriter and film director. He wrote for 70 films between 1928 and 1955. He also directed seven films between 1932 and 1951 and wrote scripts for bot ...

and Owen Francis, the film is about a generations-old feud between two families. This feud is revived when the town banker tries to construct a highway through the area where a monument is installed to the frontiersman ancestor of one of the families.Magers 2007, p. 159. Gene Autry, known as the "singing cowboy", was then under contract to Republic Pictures. Thirteen-year-old Jane Withers was a movie star and powerful box office draw. She wanted to make a movie with him, and arranged for him to be loaned to

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

by talking directly to each of the studio heads. ''Shooting High'' was a success.

Plot

The Carsons and the Pritchards have been feuding for generations in the town of Carson's Corners. The budding romance between Will Carson ( Gene Autry) and Marjorie Pritchard ( Marjorie Weaver) is being threatened by this long-standing feud. Marjorie's father, Calvin Pritchard (

Frank M. Thomas Frank Marion Thomas (July 13, 1889 – November 25, 1989) was an American character actor of stage, screen and television. He and his wife, actress Mona Bruns, both lived to 100 years old. He died the day before her 90th birthday; she died 11 y ...

), is the bank president and mayor of Carson's Corners. He pretends to support Will's courtship of his daughter because he needs to acquire a piece of Carson property for a proposed highway through the area. When Will learns of Pritchard's motives, he accuses Marjorie of scheming with her father to steal Carson land. The long-simmering feud between the Carsons and the Pritchards erupts over Will's accusation. Just as the families renew their bickering, Gabby Cross (

Jack Carson John Elmer Carson (October 27, 1910 – January 2, 1963) was a Canadian-born American film actor. Carson often played the role of comedic friend in films of the 1940s and 1950s, including ''The Strawberry Blonde'' (1941) with James Cagney and ...

), a publicity agent for Spectrum Pictures, arrives in town and offers the townspeople $20,000 to use Carson's Corners as a filming location. He is making a movie about Wild Bill Carson, Will's grandfather and the founder of Carson Corners. Still angered by Will's undermining his highway plan, Pritchard refuses Cross's offer. His youngest daughter, Jane (

), suggests a compromise that would allow Spectrum Pictures to use the town as a filming location if the highway proposal were approved by the Carsons. With all parties agreeing to the proposal, the movie company arrives in town and begins production. The star of the film, Bob Merritt ( Robert Lowery), begins to court Marjorie. Wanting her sister to marry Will, Jane and the sheriff devise a plan to frighten Merritt out of town, telling him a lynch party is after him. After Merritt leaves town, the head of Spectrum Pictures threatens to sue Pritchard for the defection. Cross suggests giving the part to Will, who agrees on the condition that Pritchard extend the Carson mortgages. While the movie is being filmed, three gangsters arrive in town. During a bank hold-up scene, the three gangsters put on actors' costumes and steal the money from the bank. Learning of the theft, Will pursues the gangsters on horseback, catches them, and brings them back to Carson Corners with the money. Will's heroic actions wins the respect of the Pritchards, as well as Marjorie's respect and hand in marriage.

Cast

Production

Background

is considered responsible for recruiting Gene Autry to

for ''Shooting High''. At the time the thirteen-year-old star was the number 6 box office draw in the country.Magers 2007, p. 160. She called Joseph M. Schenck, then head of 20th Century Fox, telling him she wanted to do a film with Gene Autry. Schenck liked the idea, but suspected Republic Pictures would never loan the "singing cowboy" to another studio. Withers contacted the head of Republic Pictures,

Herbert J. Yates Herbert John Yates (August 24, 1880 – February 3, 1966) was the founder and president of Republic Pictures, who had western stars John Wayne, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers under contract. Between the years 1935 and 1959, Republic, under Yates' l ...

, and suggested that a group of Fox contract players be loaned to Republic in exchange for Autry. The studios agreed and the film became a hit. Autry, who earned $71,000 per year at Republic, earned $25,000 for his work in this film. This was Autry's first movie as a co-star, his first since 1934 without the comic presence of

Smiley Burnette Lester Alvin Burnett (March 18, 1911 – February 16, 1967), better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, a ...

, and his first playing a character other than himself.Magers, pp. 158–160.

Filming

''Shooting High'' was filmed November 18 to December 16, 1939.

Filming locations

* 20th Century Fox backlot,

Calabasas, California Calabasas (from Spanish ''calabazas'' "gourds") is a city in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, between the foothills of the Santa Monica and Santa Susanna mountains.Santa Susana Pass The Santa Susana Pass, originally Simi Pass, is a low mountain pass in the Simi Hills of Southern California, connecting the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles neighborhood of Chatsworth, to the city of Simi Valley and eponymous valley. It h ...

, Simi Valley,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

Corriganville Movie Ranch __NOTOC__ Corriganville Movie Ranch was a working film studio and movie ranch for outdoor location shooting, as well as a Western-themed tourist attraction. The ranch, owned by actor and stuntman Ray "Crash" Corrigan, was located in the foothills ...

, Simi Valley, California

Stuntwork

* Foxy Callahan * Frank McCarroll * Henry Wills

Soundtrack

* "Wanderers" (Felix Bernard, Paul Francis Webster) by Gene Autry and Jane Withers * "Shanty of Dreams" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin) by Gene Autry and Jane Withers * "Only One Love in a Lifetime" (Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin, Harry Tobias) by Gene Autry * "Little Old Band of Gold" (Gene Autry, Charles Newman, Fred Glickman) by Gene Autry * "On the Rancho with My Pancho" (Harry Akst, Sidney Clare) * "Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)" ( Richard Wagner)

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * *

External links

* * * {{Alfred E. Green 1940 films 1940 Western (genre) films 20th Century Fox films American Western (genre) films American black-and-white films Films directed by Alfred E. Green Films scored by Samuel Kaylin 1940s English-language films 1940s American films